Wake Forest Athletics
Gridiron Deacs Appear in National Polls
9/7/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 7, 2003
The Wake Forest football team will take the field at Groves Stadium next Saturday as a nationally-ranked squad for the first time in over 10 years.
Following their stunning 38-24 victory over 11th-ranked NC State last week, the Demon Deacons (2-0) found themselves checking into both major polls on Sunday, WFU is 20th in the Associated Press poll, and 21st in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll.
WFU is currently the second-highest ranked ACC team. Florida State, also 2-0, is 10th in both polls. The Wolfpack dropped to 24th in the AP, 22nd in the coaches' poll.
Wake Forest has not been ranked since January of 1993, when it appeared in the final polls for the 1992 season. Following its win over Oregon in the 1992 Independence Bowl, WFU closed out the year ranked 25th by AP, 17th in the coaches' poll. It is the only other time Wake Forest has appeared in the ESPN/USA Today poll.
Prior to 1992, Wake's last national ranking came back in 1979, when it was ranked for four straight weeks and reached as high as 14th in the AP poll.
WFU's win over NC State last week marked the first victory over a nationally-ranked opponent since defeating No. 14 Georgia Tech, 26-23, on Nov. 20, 1999.
Wake will put its newly-acquired ranking on the line this Saturday, when it hosts Purdue in a high noon showdown at Groves Stadium. Purdue was ranked 16th/20th in last week's polls but dropped out of both following a one-point loss at home, 27-26, to Bowling Green in its season opener last weekend. The Boilermakers are still receiving votes.
